Mayor Bloomberg has been using his City Hall podium as a national pulpit for gun control. But when WPIX reporter Mary Murphy had the opportunity to question Bloomberg about the shell casing controversy, he took a different tack.

At issue, the June sale of 28-thousand pounds of spent shell casings from the NYPD firing range in the Bronx to an ammunition dealer in Georgia.

Murphy threw some questions at Bloomberg at an event yesterday. When the highly competent Murphy seemed to get the “run-around,” she pressed Bloomberg on the City’s shell casing policy, causing an all-too-familiar, irritated scene. (See video after the jump)

“Either you want to ask a question and I give you an answer, or please come to the next press conference and stand in the back,” Bloomberg told Murphy. “I’m happy to answer your question, thank you very much. But I’ve given you the courtesy and I expect the same courtesy. Thank you very much.”

While Murphy, an 18-time Emmy Award winner, clearly hit a nerve with the shell casings question, Bloomberg ended the give and take saying, “In [this] case, we have always sold scrap metal. And that’s all this is.”

Thereafter, Murphy asked Police Commissioner Ray Kelly if he were upset that the shell casings were sold to the Deep South dealer. “No,” he said in an attempt to quickly change the subject.

To her credit, Murphy pushed Kelly again a few minutes later, asking why everyone is so sensitive about the topic.

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